Mineral wool apparatus



MINERAL WOOL APPARATUS Filed Nov. 18, 1942 INVENTOR [am/P0 A. IOOWELL.

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 30, 1946 arcane MINERAL WOOL APPARATUS Edward R.Powell, North Plainfleld, N. .L, assignor to Johns-Manviliecorporartliion, New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New Yo Application November 18, 1942. Serial no.466,067

8 Claims;

My present invention relates to. the manufacture of mineral wool andparticularly to an im-' proved apparatus for converting a stream ofmolten raw material into a mass or felt of fibers. The term mineralwool" is employed herein in to receive themolten material stream is arotor or spinner M. The rotor is afllxed to shaft IS a generic sense toinclude wool or fibers formed from rock, slag, glass, mixtures thereofand the like.

for rotation therewith, the shaft being supported in suitable bearingsll carried on a mounting 20,

supported preferably on a platform or other I foundation 22. Means ofany suitable type may be provided for adjustment of the mounting -10,

I to permit desired changes to be made in the posi- Heretofore mineralwool has been formed in several ways including the conventional methodof disintegrating the molten material into a multiplicity of fibers bythe action of a high pressure steam Jet. It has also been proposed toobtain the disintegrating'of the molten material stream by the use of. aspinner or rotor rotated at high speed and upon which the materialimpinges, and by which it is broken up into drops or masses which arethrown from'the spinner by centrifugal force to be drawn into fiber orthread form. The instant invention is particularly concemed with and hasfor its principal object the provision of an improved apparatus of thelatter type. Another object of the invention is the provision of meansfor causing deposition of such fibers in the form of a continuous layeror felt. The above noted objects are attained by an improved apparatusin accordance with the invention which, briefly stated, comprises aspinning and felting means in combination with means fordirectly'gathering and felting the newly formed fibers. The apparatus isconstructed and arranged to provide this dual function and at the sametime to secure both with bodies formed therefrom. A further object isattained by the instant construction, namely, the dissemination of abinder throughout the newly formed felt.

My invention will be more fully understood and further objects andadvantages thereofwill become apparent when reference is made to themore detailed description which is to follow and to the accompanyingdrawing in which the single figure is a view partially in elevation andpartially in section of an apparatus in accordance with the invention. 5Referring to the drawing thereis shown an apparatus comprising a meltingfurnace Ill. The

improved products furnace shown is of the cupola type but it willrespect to the fibers, and the feltedtheir formation.

tion of the rotor with respect to the stream of molten material. Suchadjusting means is indicated at 24 and 28. The shaft l6 supports apulley 28 driven by a belt or other driving; means ll from a pulley 32carried by the shaft of a motor or other power source It. Itvvill beunderstood that in lieu of the particular driving means shown anysuitable arrangement may be employed for imparting high speed rotationto the shaft l8 and rotor ll. 1

Spinner or rotor H may take different specific forms but as illustratedpreferably comprises a frusto conical member having an inclined edge orface portion 36 arranged to receive and operate on the molten material.Portion 38 is subdivided into a plurality of groovesby annular ribs 38.Rotor i4 is suitably positioned by the adjustment means so that, asillustrated, the molten material strikes the rotor at an acute anglewith respect to portion 36.

Located behind the rotor, that is opposite the shaft I6, is a fibercollecting device comprising, in its preferred form, a foraminousconveyor till mounted fortravelling movement in the direction indicatedby the arrow on rolls t2. Suitable driving apparatus (not shown) isemployed for rotating one or more of the rolls M to cause continuousmovement of the conveyor during the fiber forming operation. Behind theforward reach of conveyor to there is disposed an air venting means orhood it connected to the suction side of a fan or the like (not shown)to create a suction effect through such forward reach. Conveyor to islocated relatively close to the rotor i4 whereby the newly formed fibersare immediately caught up by the air stream created by the suctiondevice, and are carried to and depos- .ited directly on the conveyor.

(not shown) and a, spray nozzle 52. Nozzle 52 is positioned to feedbinder in desired quantities onto the new fibers-substantially at thetime of As illustrated, the binder is ample, asphalts, thermo plasticand thermo setting resins, drying oils and the like, or mixtures thereofmay be used. I

In the operation of the apparatus described above the stream it ofmolten material impinges upon the serrated or grooved edge of rotor 14while the rotor is rotated at high speed through the medium of the drivemeans. The molten material is thrown outwardly by centrifugal force fromthe spinner in the form of drops or particles, which for the most partare drawn out into fine fibers as they move at high velocity through theair. The air stream created by the suction means moves across the normalpath of the fibers and unfiberized particles. The fibers due to theirlow mass are caught up by the air stream and deposited on the surface ofthe conveyor to form a felt which is gradually built up to a maximumthickness at approximately the point that the conveyor passes around theupper roll 42. The unfiberized particles, due to their greater mass andhence higher inertia are substantially unaffected by the air stream andare driven forwardly until they strike the casing walls. They may beremoved from the casing in any suitable manner.

The binder supplied by means 48 is broken up into minute droplets duringthe fiberlz'lng action and becomes deposited upon the individual fiberswhile the latter are suspended in'the air stream whereby the bindersubstantially uniformly permeates the felt formed on the conveyor. Thefelt is carried around the upper roll I! and may be removed from theconveyor in any suitable manner.

An apparatus in accordance with the invention provides for a rapid andemcient fiberization and deposition of the fiberized material in theform of a coherent felt. The construction rmits pe molten stream, arotor supported for rotation in the addition of the binder with thebinder disseminated in the form of small droplets throughout the formedfelt whereby products for many uses may be obtained.

a plane. at an angle to the horizontal to place a peripheral edgesurface in position to receive said stream, means to rotate said rotorat high speed whereby said molten material from said stream is convertedinto fibers, a foraminous conveyor located closely adjacent said rotorand in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the rotor andmeans for drawing air through said foreminous conveyor across the pathof said fibers to cause said fibers to be drawn immediately toward saidforaminous conveyor and deposited directly thereon.

3. In a mineral wool apparatus including means for melting mineral woolforming material and discharging the same in a substantially verticalmolten stream, a rotor supported for rotation in a plane at an angle tothe horizontal and having an inclined peripheral edge face includingconcentric ribs positioned in the path of said stream, means to rotatesaid rotor at high speed whereby molten material from said stream isconverted into fibers, a ioraminous conveyor located closely adjacentsaid rotor, means for moving said conveyor, and means for drawing airthrough said conveyor across the path of said fibers to cause saidfibers to be drawn immediately toward said Although the invention hasbeen described in rather complete detail it will be understood thatthese details need not be strictly adhered to but. that variations andmodifications will suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, allfallin within the scope of the invention as defined by the subjoinedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. In a mineral wool apparatus including means for melting mineral woolforming material and discharging the same in a molten stream under theinfluence of gravity, a rotor supported for rotation in a plane toexpose a peripheral edge surface to the molten stream, means to rotatesaid rotor at high speed whereby the molten ma-.

terial from said stream is converted into fibers,

a foraminous member located closely adjacent said rotor and means fordrawing air through said .member across the path of said fibers to causesaid fibers to be drawn immediately toward said foraminous member anddeposited directly thereon.

2. In a mineral wool apparatus includin means for melting mineral woolforming material and discharging the same in a substantially verticalmolten stream, a rotor supported for rotation in conveyor and depositeddirectly thereon.

4. In a mineral wool apparatus including means for melting mineral woolforming material and discharging the same in a molten stream under theinfluence of gravity, a rotor supported for rotation in a plane toexpose a peripheral edge portion to said stream, said portion havingconcentric ribs, means for rotating said rotor at high speed, wherebythe molten material of said stream is converted into fibers, aforaminous member located closely adjacent said rotor, and means fordrawing air through said member across the path of said fibers to causesaid fibers to be drawn immediately toward said foraminous member anddeposited directly thereon.

5. In a mineral wool apparatus including means for melting mineral woolforming material and discharging the same in a substantially vertical aplane at an angle to the horizontal and including a peripheral streamcontacting portion having concentric ribs and lying at an acute anglewith respect to said stream, means to rotate said rotor at high speedwhereby molten material from said stream is converted into fibers, aforaminous conveyor located closely adjacent said rotor and in a planesubstantially parallel to the plane of said rotor, and means for drawingair through said conveyor across the path of said fibers to cause saidfibers to be drawn immediately toward v said conveyor and depositeddirectly thereon.

6. In a mineral wool apparatus including means for melting mineral woolforming material and discharging the same in a substantially verticalmolten stream, a rotor supported for rotation in a plane at an angle tothe horizontal to expose a peripheral edge surface to the molten stream,means to rotate said rotor at high speed whereby the molten materialfrom said stream is converted into fibers, a foraminous member locatedclosely adjacent said rotor, and means for drawing air through saidmember across the path of said fibers to cause said fibers to be drawnimmediately toward said i'oraminous member and deposited directlythereon.

EDWARD R. POWELL.

